Conference
by Skylark Evanson
Summary: Knowing mentors couldn't deal with their own apprentices and get an appropriate response, the emotionless android was the one to take the end of the deal, to have to talk with the young heroes about the scenario gone wrong.


**A/N: I'm tardy to the "Failsafe" party 'cause I was at a college thing yesterday and left on Friday night, missing all the episodes until I had internet again. Watched it twice last night and now my response to the episode is coming out. _Finally_.**

**This drabble feels pathetic, but I didn't want a mentor in it so I decided to call upon our android den mother. Mostly, I'm trying to get multiple responses in. Kaldur was impossible *headdesk***

**Disclaimer: I own nothing at all.**

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><p><strong><span>Conference<span>**

At Batman's request, Red Tornado was in charge of taking care of the team's mental health after the training exercise. Knowing mentors couldn't deal with their own apprentices and get an appropriate response, the emotionless android was the one to take the end of the deal, to have to talk with the young heroes about the scenario gone wrong.

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><p>"I don't get why I have to talk to you about it." Superboy had his arms folded across his chest and leaned back in the chair, feeling like this was a verbal assault rather than an emotional counseling session.<p>

"Tell me what you thought, that is all." He could listen. He knew how to listen. And if he wanted to be more human, he would listen to the children he had come to care for.

After a few more thoughts and a heavy sigh of obvious reluctance, he said, "They kept calling me Superman." His cobalt eyes averted from the machine.

"You sound disturbed."

A fair smile touched Conner's face; he couldn't help but imagine Robin, if he were there, immediately remarking on the use of the 'dis' prefix. Then he had to revert again. Back to thinking. Back to the scenario. "I'm not Superman." The familiar darkness of rage clouded his thoughts. "I am not Superman." His cobalt eyes found the android. He repeated again, "I'm not Superman."

Red Tornado released the clone, letting him go back to his static-filled tv.

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><p>"I was in a coma. I mean, how is that supposed to feel? Was I breathing? How do you eat in a coma, seriously?"<p>

Red Tornado did not have an answer.

Artemis continued, "And why did Manhunter kill me first? Does everyone subconsciously hate me enough to want me being the first one dead? I know J'onn had control, but come on! Why me?"

The answer was simple. "You were the first to risk yourself for the scenario. At that moment, you knew you could not actually die."

This gave the archer a few things to ponder over. For once, she was very, very quiet. Her sapphire eyes traced the curves of her nails and counted the seams on her jeans. "So everyone else gave their lives knowing that they would die. Or at least thinking that they would _really_die… That makes me look really bad, but I can't help but think how great these people are..." Awe was evident in her words. "Kaldur doesn't even pause, he just does. From what I'm hearing through the grapevine, he saved some army guy rather than himself. Manhunter too, who, mind you, killed me first." It was something she wasn't going to let go anytime soon. "And Conner got killed too. Saving Earth. I didn't even do that! I got shot! In the Arctic, nonetheless!"

"Artemis." He could sense she was going to carry on with her rant if he allowed it. "You fought nobly to save your friends. They then went out and attempted to save the world."

"In the scenario," reminded Artemis. She wasn't really dead. She was just playing dead. And was in a coma. For who knows how long. Her chest seemed to tighten up. She looked to Tornado for a long moment, eyes a little shinier than usual. "Can I..." Her voice almost seemed to break. One of her hands was clenched into a tight fist. "Can I call my mom?"

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><p>Kaldur'ahm squirmed uncomfortably. He had nothing to say. Yet Red Tornado was watching him and waiting for words, for some kind of expression of emotion towards the scenario and all the death. "I do not believe I need to speak about this," he said quietly. "I died saving a military officer. That is all."<p>

"Why were you suspicious of Martian Manhunter?" If he couldn't get the Atlantean to speak freely like Artemis and Conner had, he would have to instigate some answers from the gilled-boy.

"We did not know what our enemies were capable of, and we had seen him die." His silver eyes were untouched by emotion. "I have nothing more to say."

Red Tornado had no more questions. He let the Atlantean leave.

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><p>"It was... awful." He'd taken off his glasses to rub the tears out of his eyes. "I've seen bad stuff, but that was ridiculously awful. Iris watched Barry die! I watched Batman die! M'gann saw Manhunter die! How were we all so... so detached? I would never do that!" Frustration was billowing off of him in waves. "And I sacrificed Conner instead of myself. He could've taken out the power core while I dodged lasers. Not to mention, Miss M would've been able to keep better control if it was just me." All of his muscles tensed at once, body going rigid. "Stupid mistake!"<p>

Red Tornado had no questions, but he listened intently as was his responsibility to the team.

"Superman was dead! How was that not an automatic 'This is training.' tipoff! Batman always does that, although I'm still not sure whether it's for fun or just as a reminder for me." He rubbed two fingers to his temple, trying to clear his head. Discomfort at being so... emotionally removed from the situation made him doubtful. Doubtful of himself, doubtful of his abilities. "I'm just trying to look at every angle right now and figure out what I did wrong, why I couldn't fix it... I probably could've saved Artemis. And I got Wally killed. He could've tried vibrating his molecules again, but he wouldn't have left me behind..." He stood up and kicked the chair back, the metal furniture clattering against the hard, cold ground. "I'm so stupid!"

Partially worried that Robin was going to break something, Red Tornado dismissed him. When the bird was leaving, the android had to remind him of his sunglasses.

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><p>"First off," began Wally before even getting in the seat, "I'd like to clarify that I hate Artemis." He felt guilty for saying it, guilty for thinking it. Such a lie was nothing to be used lightly. But Rob had already been harping him and uttering that stupid tree song and Wally just wanted to make sure that the red robot had this whole thing cleared up right off the bat. Even if it was a lie.<p>

A stiff, robotic nod was given.

Now crashed in the seat and chattering away was the West boy. "It's Artemis. She's mean, rude, and obnoxious. Overall, pretty self-explanatory." One of his fingers began to twitch, constantly moving. He would not make eye contact with the android. "Then I watched her die and I suddenly wished I'd told her that she was the one I'd want watching my back in a fight and that if I ever made a gang, she would totally be in it." His forehead furrowed with creases. "I don't like her." His lips were dragged downwards. "You know what, I hate hormones." He stood up. "You're lucky you're a robot. You don't have feelings. You don't get hurt. You don't fall in love." Wally began to storm off.

Red Tornado said nothing.

The ginger came back. "But just so we're clear, I'm not in love with Artemis. I hate her." The guilt was still there.

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><p>M'gann would not speak.<p>

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><p><strong>AN: Megan doesn't want to say anything. She's too disappointed in herself.**

**Review?**

**~Sky**


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